Thursday, July 28, 2005

Interesting Weather the Other Day

Do I smell the sea?

That was some kinda weather we had last Tuesday.

We had to go up to Denver for a meeting. Got up early and as we were getting dressed, the clothes were already dripping wet. This is Pueblo. This sort of stuff doesn’t happen. Right?

Then, going outside, I distinctly noticed the aroma of rotting vegetation. Smells I had not remembered since some trips to the Panamanian jungle at the behest of our rich Uncle Sam. Yes. It had been raining, but you don’t get that kind of aroma from just a light overnight rain.

Didn’t think much of it. Just enjoyed the interesting memories. And we left for the meeting. Noticed a lot of moisture all along the way north.

The meeting over, we started back. When we got south of Colorado Springs, things got ‘interesting’. It was raining cats and dogs most of the way. And in places they were being pitched by the barrel. Serious issues with trying to see anything beyond the hood, here and there. There wasn’t much lightening associated with this downpour. That’s odd too. The clouds reminded me of clouds I’d seen elsewhere. But I couldn’t quite place exactly where. Furthermore, I noticed something else, what sailors call “the smell of the sea”. And that IS rather odd around here.

Susan didn’t notice the aroma that much.

The way things were going, I thought for sure that Pueblo would be having their best rain all year. But, typically, hardly a drop.

Once home, Susan said she was noticing sea-like aromas. I noticed they were stronger and included something like rotting fish.

Then I remembered where I’d seen the sort of clouds I noticed on the drive; hurricanes. So, I’m wondering….was last Tuesday’s interesting weather the passage of what remains of Hurricane Emily? The one that stormed across the Yucatan late last week?

The plot took it west across Mexico proper to dissipate into a strong weather system. Then, running into the prevailing winds in western Mexico, would it not be blown to the northeast?

Just the other day, the National Weather Service was all a titter about a big cloud of dust coming to the east coast from the Sahara desert. If matter as heavy as dust can make it all the way across the Atlantic Ocean from Africa to the Carolinas, surely the light odors of the Yucatan jungles can be carried here by what used to be a hurricane.

I’ve asked the National Weather Service about this. Maybe they’ll answer….

Saturday, July 23, 2005

Signs of the Times

The City Fathers have been hammering out a new chapter to the zoning ordinance. The results seem to be ‘interesting’.

If you caught the public notice in the Chieftain today, you might have been intrigued by the mention of both traffic corridors and zoning. I know I was. So I went looking, in the City Clerks web-site, for additional information.

What I found wasn’t about traffic management issues. Rather, it was about signage. You know, words on surfaces to tell other people information you want them to know. Doesn’t matter whether it’s business or polticial or patriotic. It’s a sign. And this proposed addition to the Title XVII (Zoning) ordinance looks odd.

Here’s the web site for proposed ordinance.

What I found ‘interesting’ here was that Free Standing Signs were going to be prohibited in residential areas, according to the ordinance. This means that the signs on frames you stick in the ground, e.g., Save Historic Pueblo signs, would be outlawed; as far as I can tell, because they ARE ‘free standing’ and usually found on residential properties.

This would also seem to me to apply to any signs about houses for sale, as I didn’t see any mention of any exceptions to the rule. But maybe they consider those signs “commercial” and, as with the Kelo decision, what’s good for tax revenue is good for Pueblo; home owners be d——-.

I’m curious that, if my understanding is correct, it is a violation of the First Amendment of the Constitution of the United States. Obviously political-oriented signs, supporting or opposing some candidate or proposed issue, are being suppressed on residential properties.

I would REALLY like it for the city “gun for hire”, i.e., attorney, would explain this all to me….short of getting testie with me in public hearings when I might not understand exactly what he’s trying to do/say. I’m no expert, but…I am a property-tax paying, voting citizen of this community. And I think I’m a reasonably prudent individual. My legitimate concerns should be allayed…if he can do such a thing. Preferably without his getting ‘upset’ as a tactic.

Thank God…

...THAT’s almost over with…..I hope….

The last two months have been interesting. And that’s an euphemism. We hope to have the activity wrapped up, for all intents and purposes, next week.

Now back to reality. Or whatever it has become in our abscence.

Lots of interesting things have been happening, both here and abroad. I’ll try to address them as the opportunities present themselves. Some of these items involve the following:

[1] The recent Supreme Court decision of Kelo v. New London; or is Parkview going to get City Council to declare Acension Episcopalian Church ‘blighted’ so it can enlarge it’s campus?
[2] Is it hot here? Or what?
[3] What’s with this signage ordinance?
[4] Why are we thrashing around on trash and recycling?
[5] Who’s running for what?
[6] The Hollywood cunundrum; or why is it hardly anybody is going to the theaters, despite the heat.

And lots more. It will be good to get back to life here. Beats the heck out of life, such as it is, in Denver.

Thursday, July 21, 2005

Trash & Recycling Events

From Sarah Bruestle, two events of interest in the next couple of weeks. Shred those documents on July 23 and Pick Up America on August 1.

Greetings,
  During these warm days of summer recycling and clean -up events are heating up!

Below are two upcoming events 1.) Confidential document shredding 2.) Pick Up America Day

1.)  HELP PREVENT IDENTITY THEFT

Saturday July 23, 2005
9:00am - 1:00pm
Albertson’s Parking Lot
1617 Highway 50 West Pueblo, CO 81008

Identity Theft is one of the fastest growing crimes in the United States affecting over 10 million people in 2002 alone.  Locally owned Mobile Record Shredders (MRS) of Pueblo, in conjunction with Pueblo Crime Stoppers is conducting a Free Residential Service for Document Destruction.

MRS will be offering a free residential shred up to 100lbs of any confidential material; all destroyed material will be recycled.  Any amount of material over 100lbs will be charged $0.15lb and all proceeds will go to benefit Pueblo Crime Stoppers.  Monetary donations will also be accepted.

Through Public Awareness about Identity Theft, Mobile Record Shredders and Pueblo Crime Stoppers are hoping that you will “HELP US HELP LAW ENFORCEMENT”.
http://www.mobilerecordshredders.com

2.)  National Pick- Up America Day http://www.pickupamerica.org/
    August 1st at the Greenway & Nature Center

Also, the Pueblo City-County Health Department is in the process of updating their website with current recycling information: http://www.co.pueblo.co.us/pcchd/

Sarah R. Bruestle
Public Health Information Officer/Environmental Coordinator
Pueblo City-County Health Department
151 Central Main Street
Pueblo, CO 81003
.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
phone (719)583-4526
fax     (719)583-4524
pager (719)583-3217
http://www.co.pueblo.co.us/pcchd/

PROMOTING YOUR HEALTH * PROTECTING YOUR ENVIRONMENT

“Health care is vital to all of us some of the time, but public health is vital to all of us all of the time”